The bounty hunter and the thief
by Rose-Aki
Summary: What if Nami and Zoro meet each other before they meet Luffy and join his crew. Zoro/Nami
1. The meeting

A/N: This is my new story, I hope you like it :)

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It was a clear and sunny day when Nami spotted her next victim. She was just back from Cocoyasi Village after she had hid the money from her last journey there. Only a few more trips like this and she was sure that she could finally buy her village back from Arlong.

Maybe the green-haired guy sleeping in front of her could provide her with a little bit of the money she still needed. Carefully, so she wouldn't wake him up, she approached him. He didn't look wealthy, but the swords that were leaning on the tree next to him promised to sell for a good amount of money, especially if she used her negotiating skills. Taking another quick look at the man, she reached out for the next source of her income, only to be stopped by a strong hand.

Despite that he had appeared to be sleeping seconds ago, now he seemed wide awake and looked at her with a cold expression on his face. Not releasing her wrist and not letting her out of his eyes, he stood up.

"What do you think you're doing?" His deep voice made her shiver.

Now that he was standing so close to her, she could see the well-defined chest and strong muscles under his shirt as well as his masculine facial features. Nami had to admit that he was quite attractive, not that it mattered in this situation.

"I was just about to admire your swords, you know I used to fight with this kind of weapons as well." She was quick to make up an excuse.

"Liar." There was no hesitation in his words and Nami found herself confused. How had he known that so quickly. Normally men fell easily for her lies and bright smile, but this one seemed different. Forgetting that she must have a really strong swordsman in front of her, Nami was interested in why he saw through her lie so easily. Who knew, maybe that could help her convince people better in the future.

"What made you think that?" She challenged.

"Your hands." He stated with an emotionless voice and turned the hand, that he was still holding from when she had reached for his swords, around. "There are no calluses on your fingers or palm. A true swordsman has proof of his hard work."

Now that was an impressive answer. Nami had thought that he would be an easy target, but she had clearly been mistaken. Not only had he been able to hear her approach, but he was also very attentive and judging from his physique he was a strong fighter. Maybe she could talk him into helping her with a few pirates, who she was sure had money but no chance against someone like him.

"You're right. I wanted to steal them." She didn't know how far her honesty would get her, but seeing that lying to him was useless anyway she had changed her strategy.

He only grunted in reply and let go of her hand. Leaning back against the tree he closed his eyes. It was obvious to Nami that he didn't saw her as a threat. Now it was time for another approach, this time in a different way.

"I'm Nami." She smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it.

"What do you want woman?" He opened his eyes with an annoyed look on his face and Nami realized that it wouldn't be easy to convince him to work with her. However she wasn't one to give up.

"You know, I just thought that we could go for dinner or something like that." She leaned closer to him, purposely giving him a nice view of her body. Her flirting had often help her distract men so she could steal from them, so maybe it would help her convince the man in front of her.

For the first time Zoro looked closely at the woman in front for him. Sure, he had to admit that she was attractive, but did she really think something like this would work on him. Shaking his head Zoro pushed himself away from the tree and picked up his swords. He had enough of whatever she was trying to do, he needed a nap in his hotel room and then some sake. Without even answering her, he walked away in the direction where he thought his hotel was.

Nami watched with surprise how the man with three swords left in the direction of the forest. Normally he should have agreed to go on a date with her, after all her flirting worked every time. However it seemed that once again this man proved to be different. Now that he had refused her, she wanted even more for him to work with her. It was almost like a challenge for her to convince him when clearly he was not interested in anything. Smirking slightly Nami turned in the opposite direction where the village was, this could get interesting.

After years of searching for people that she could steal from Nami knew a bar was always the place where everyone ended up. Tonight when she entered the resident bar she hoped that she would meet a certain green-haired swordsman again. This seemed like a place he would go to and she hoped that her instincts weren't misleading her. In the village she had informed herself about him and it turned out that he was a well-known pirate hunter. Seeing that she herself didn't like pirates because of Arlong and his crew, she thought even more that they would make a good team. Now all she had to do was wait for him to show up.

Two hours later Nami was about to give up when finally the door to the bar opened and a man wearing three swords entered. From her place at the corner of the bar she watched him sit down and order a mug of sake. Taking her own drink with her, she walked over to him.

"I thought you would be here." She smirked at him when she sat down. Seeing that he wasn't even looking up at hearing her voice she just continued talking. "I have an offer to make to you. I heard that you're a bounty hunter and I would like to work with you."

Zoro had intended to ignore the woman next to him after she had already annoyed him a few hours ago, but her words made him curious.

"What is in it for me?"

"I'm very good at finding out information about people and I can bring you to any island you want. I'm a navigator and I have a boat. It would make it easier and quicker for you to find your targets and we would share the earnings we would get from the bounty." It was the only thing that she could offer him, because there was no doubt in her mind that he already knew that physical fighting wasn't her strength. Neither lying nor flirting had brought her anywhere with him so for the first time she tried it with the truth. "I could really use your help." All she could hope for was that he would consider it.

"I could use a boat and a navigator. They built these cities so weirdly that it took me two hours from the hotel here." He mused out loud.

At that Nami's eyes widened. This village had only one hotel and it was around the corner. How could it have taken him two hours to get here? However it probably wasn't the best idea to voice this thought, seeing that he seemed to consider her offer at the moment.

While Nami was waiting for an answer, Zoro thought about her offer. His boat crashed on the way to this island against a rock that wasn't supposed to be there according to the map and he was tired of walking around in circles in search for his next target. Even though this woman, who's name was Nami if he remembered correctly, had lied to him when they first met a few hours ago this time she seemed sincere. Zoro always trusted his instincts and right now they were telling him to give her a chance.

"I'll make you a deal. This is the reason I'm on this island." With that Zoro pulled out a wanted poster and lay it in front of Nami. "Find out where that man is right now and I'll accept your offer."

Nami couldn't believe her luck. If she was honest with herself she had thought that he would surely reject her after she had tried to steal from him, but he was willing to give her a chance. Now the only thing she had to do was to prove to him that she was worth it to be working with him and she already had an idea how she would get the information he wanted from her. Without hesitation she stood up and made her way over to the bartender pulling her shirt a little more down.

Zoro watched the whole scene and rolled his eyes at the display Nami was showing. When the bartender even reacted to it, he snorted, how he hated men that were so easily manipulated by a women. However this time it benefited him, because it seemed that the bartender knew a lot. Ten minutes later Nami sat back down next to him with a smile.

"He comes here every Wednesday night and his ship is anchored on the east side of the island."

"Well if that's the case, let's find him and see if you're right." With that Zoro emptied his mug of sake in one gulp and stood up.

After she had basically dragged him all the way, because he kept walking in the wrong direction, the two finally arrived at the ship. Zoro smirked confidently when the pirates were about to attack them and drew his swords. It had been a while since he had a good fight.

Nami could only watch in wonder how Zoro took quick care of not only the pirate with the high bounty but also his entirely crew as well. Sure, considering his physique and the way he hold himself Nami had already guessed that Zoro was a great fighter, but that he defeated a whole crew all by himself was impressive.

When all pirates were defeated Zoro turned to Nami. She had been right about the location and on their way here she had done a good job with navigating them. It seemed that his instincts had been right and it payed off that he had given her a chance. He had promised her to work with her if she would find out the information he needed and he wasn't one to break promises.

"We're partners now." Zoro smirked at her.

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think :)


	2. Friends

A/N: I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and a successful Black Friday. A big thanks to my reviewers and hopefully you like the new chapter :)

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After two months of traveling with Zoro, Nami had to admit that they really made a good team. However his sense of direction was even worse than she had originally thought, but being the navigator she was at heart she made up for it. Then again the swordsman was also stronger than she had thought, which in return was making up for her lack of physical strength. They both had fallen into a comfortable routine rather quickly, which had surprised her. She was used to work alone and she was sure that Zoro had been more of a lone wolf himself, but despite that they bickered a lot she found herself enjoying his company.

None of them had brought up their pasts or families, but Nami was more than glad for it. She was slowly starting to consider Zoro a friend, but telling him about her past and why she had to collect so much money would only complicate things.

They had just arrived at a new island and like usual Nami was the one who would try to find out a few useful information about their next target. Normally she would met up with Zoro at one of the hotel rooms they had booked and Zoro would take care of their target. Then they would get the money for turning said person in. However this time everything was different and it would change their relationship forever.

For the first time it wasn't difficult for Nami to find their new target. This town was bigger than the ones they had been to and it almost took her all day to get any information about the man they were searching for. It was already late when she finally found him in a run-down bar. Normally she observed their target before talking to him to find out what he was doing the next few days. However this time she was impatient and miscalculate the man's reaction. Nami used her usual flirting method to get information like she had done with all the other targets, but this man didn't just let her leave with the promise that she would see him again.

At first everything went as planned and Nami left to meet up with Zoro at the hotel, but a few minutes into the night she was grasped and shoved against a wall. The man that she had just talked to stood close to her, a disgusted expression on his face.

"I have heard of an orange-haired thief that tricks pirates into fighting her partner. If I'm not mistaken that is you, isn't it?"

At his words Nami flinched. Zoro and her had made themselves quite a name already, but she hadn't thought that it would backfire on her one day. It was understandable that as a pirate the man hated bounty hunters and by the looks of it he was ready to make her pay. Due to her information gathering she knew that this man was ruthless and would beat up anyone who was in his way. She would never admit it or show it to the man in front of her, but Nami was scared. This pirate was stronger than her and if he would decide to fight her, she wouldn't have a chance to win against him. It seemed that her fear were realized when the man reached back. Closing her eyes all she could hope for was that a certain swordsman would show up.

"Let her go." The voice she had hoped to hear said in a cold tone.

When she opened her eyes she saw Zoro standing there, one sword on the pirate's throat and his other two ready to strike as well. In that moment she felt relief flow through her and she knew that she was safe. She might have only met Zoro two months ago, but she knew that he would never let anything happen to her. Almost relaxed she watched how the pirate let go of her and faced his new opponent.

Zoro made short work of the man. He had been worried when Nami hadn't come back to the hotel as quick as she normally did and went to look for her. Due to someone designing this town so weirdly it had taken him some time to find her, but it seemed that he had chosen the right moment to show up.

When their target lay on the ground defeated Zoro approached Nami, who was leaning against the nearest wall. His eyes quickly scanned her for injuries, but she appeared to be unharmed. Just to be sure he asked her anyway.

"Are you okay?"

The navigator only nodded. Now she was safe and everything was alright, at least that was what she thought.

After they had turned their target in and collected the money they went back to their hotel. They went to her room first so Nami could count the money in peace while Zoro looked through bounty posters for their next target. However now that she had a moment to think about what had happened, fear slowly settled in her belly. In the situation she had kept calm and hadn't given the pirate any hint at her fear, but now that she was safe and with someone she trusted her emotions were closer to the surface.

Meanwhile the swordsman was unaware of Nami's feeling and after she was done counting the money and he had told her about who he thought should be their next target he stood up to leave for his own room. He was about to open the door when Nami stopped him.

"Don't go." Her voice was shaking and so unlike her. "Please."

When Zoro turned around and saw the woman in front of him it pulled on his heartstrings. In the time they were already traveling together he had never seen her like this. Normally she was determined and even bossy, but now she seemed vulnerable for the first time. Zoro knew that he wasn't good with emotions or comforting, especially not when it came to women, but he couldn't just leave her like this. Going purely on what is instincts were telling him, he pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her back.

That was the moment Nami's resolve broke completely. When was the last time someone touched her with so much care? It must have been when Bellemere had still been alive. At first she tried to hold back her tears but it was useless. She buried her head deeper into Zoro's chest and her hands gripped his shirt tightly. All the emotions she had held back for so long were finally coming to the surface and she let them all out. His gentle touch never left, if anything his hold on her tightened to reassure her that he was there for her.

Zoro could only hope that his presence help her a little bit. He knew that life could be hard and that this pirate had threatened her today must have scared her. Surely she would never admit it, after all Zoro knew that Nami was a very proud person, but it was obvious how she really felt about what had happened this evening.

Slowly the navigator felt her exhaustion from the day take a toll on her, so she pulled Zoro with her to the bed. She didn't know what it was that made her trust Zoro so much after just two months, but somehow she knew he wouldn't take advantage of the situation. Just like she had hoped, he lay down with her and hold her gently. No more words were exchanged between them and Nami felt herself drift into the most peaceful sleep she had in a long time.

In the morning Nami was the first one to wake up and she wasn't surprised to see that Zoro was still asleep. When she took a closer look at his face she had to smile slightly. He looked younger when he was asleep and his normally unreadable face was completely relaxed. Seeing him like this made a warm feeling appear in her stomach. She had known from the beginning that he wouldn't take advantage of the situation and he really hadn't moved at all during the night. Her head was still laying on his chest and his arms were still around her. Never before had Nami woken up in someones arms and she was sure that she wouldn't fell this good if it had been anyone else but Zoro. She had slept so well and for the first time since she had lost Bellemere she felt completely safe exactly where she was.

It was strange that she was feeling this way, but looking at the man besides her, she had her reason for this emotion. It might have only been two months that they were traveling together but she considered Zoro her first real friend. Sure, they were complete opposites and they bickered a lot, but she had never felt so at home with anyone else outside of her family. Friendship was a whole new concept for her, but she was willing to try it with Zoro.

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think :)


	3. Closer

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers and I hope you like the new chapter :)

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Over a week later they ended up on a winter island. It was already dark outside and the search for a hotel had been tiring. Through the sick snow storm they had walked into Nami could finally make out the sign that promised them a warm place to stay for the night. Tugging Zoro along with her, the navigator breath a sigh of relief when they entered the small lobby. At their arrival the old man behind the counter looked up from the newspaper he had been reading.

Nami was even too exhausted to try negotiating over the price for their stay in the hotel and just told the man that they needed a room. Nodding the old man gave her a key and the two made their way to their room.

When they entered the room Nami's first look fell on the only bed. Normally they booked a room with two beds, but the man had clearly misinterpreted their relationship as something it wasn't. If the navigator was completely honest with herself, she wouldn't mind sharing a bed with the swordsman again. She had felt safe and protected the last time she had woken up in his arms and it got harder to deny that she wasn't slowly falling for the strong swordsman. However before she could think more about this realization the voice of the man she had been thinking about pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I'll just sleep on the floor, you can have the bed."

Zoro didn't want to argue with her and he was too tired to go back down to the old man and tell him that he should give them another room. If anything he could sleep basically everywhere and the floor looked more comfortable than other places that he had already sleep on, so he didn't see a problem with it.

The navigator smiled slightly at his offer. No matter how much he tried to hide it on the outside in the end Zoro was a gentleman in a way. However this was her chance to have an excuse to sleep next to him again and she didn't want to pass it up. He was the first man who she had not only let herself be close to, but also the only one who she found herself wanting to be close to. Sure, she had used flirting often enough in the past to distract man enough so she could steal from them, but she had never wanted them around. With Zoro it was completely different. Since they had started traveling together he had shown her that there were honorable man out there. She knew that he valued her navigating skills even if he never outright said it and he had always treated her like an equal. When she had shown him a vulnerable side of herself he hadn't given her the feeling that she was weak and had been there for her without asking any questions. Nami didn't know how it had happened but during the time they had already spent together he had become the first person outside of her family that she trusted deeply.

Back when she had started her journey she had never thought that she would want a man to hold her while she slept, but now she even wished for it. However she couldn't just ask him to share the bed with her. She didn't know what he felt for her and she wasn't ready to put herself in this vulnerable position until she was completely sure that she was indeed in love with him. Now she had to be careful about how she could convince him without being suspicious. Biting her lip she finally came up with a good enough excuse why he could sleep next to her without making him aware of her developing feelings for him.

"I don't mind sharing. It's cold and we walked through the snow for hours, I'm sure we could use each others body heat."

At her words Zoro's eyes widened in surprise. Sure, they had already shared a bed, but back then she had been upset and in need of comfort. Now she was clear minded and she still suggested something like this, but if he was honest with himself it had felt right to hold Nami. He couldn't really describe that feeling he was getting around her, but that he felt the constant need to protect her and make sure that she was safe was now part of his every day life. Somehow this woman had made him care for her and Zoro wasn't even angry at her for it. Looking at her again he couldn't help but nod in agreement, holding her again sounded too tempting to decline it.

After they each got ready they lay down on the bed and to Zoro's surprise Nami immediately snuggled up to him.

"It's really cold." Was her answer to his unasked question.

This was of course an excuse, but Nami thought it would make it easier for Zoro to accept their position. After her words she felt him pull her closer with a grunt that she took as agreement. Closing her eyes after she felt him relax completely she smiled. This still felt as natural and right as it had been when he was holding her for the first time. She could really get used to this.

The next morning it was Zoro who woke up first. Normally he slept in if he wasn't woken up by Nami telling him to stop being lazy. However his personal alarm clock was still asleep on his chest and at the sight a small smile tugged on Zoro's lips. A few strands of her hair lay over her eyes and before he really realized what he did, he was softly moving them away to get a better look at her face.

In her sleep she seemed so innocent and at peace which was in stark contrast to when she was awake. Sure, she could be sweet and caring if she wanted to, but she was also bossy and determined. Zoro couldn't put his finger on it, but there seemed to be something that was haunting her. They had never spoken about their pasts and he was alright with that but he was sure that there was something that she wasn't telling him. However he wouldn't ask, if she wanted to tell him he would gladly listen, but she had to come to him on her own. He was pulled out of his thought when he felt Nami slowly wake up. It was time to find their new target and make money again.

Later that day when Zoro told her that they could change the hotel room if she wanted to Nami declined, insisting that it would be cheaper to stay just in the one they were in now. If she was honest with herself that was a lie, money wasn't the reason she wanted to stay in the room with one bed, she just wanted to keep sleeping in his arms.

That was also the reason that Nami was almost thankful that it took them longer than normal to find their next target. However in the end they turned their target in and it would be only one more night that she was allowed to sleep so close to him before they would set out to the next island. However this night wouldn't turn out as peaceful as Nami had hoped.

The years of bounty hunting had made Zoro wary of his surroundings, so even when he was asleep he didn't let his guard down completely. It was thanks to this habit of his that he woke up at the sound of a window opening. Even through the darkness he could see that a group of people was slowly entering their room and he immediately reached for his swords next to the bed. Since they had turned their last target in he had felt like someone was following them and it seemed that he had been right.

Quickly looking next to him where Nami still slept peacefully he knew that he had to be careful. He wasn't afraid of anyone, but he was worried that they would go for her as their target instead of him. However before he could wake her up and warn her, one of the people approached the bed.

"Stop right there." At Zoro's cold voice the guy halted in his steps, but the swordsman could almost see the evil smirk on his face when his eyes landed on Nami.

"Roronoa Zoro, you took our captain away from us so in return we're taking someone who you care about."

Apparently these guys were the crew members of the pirate they had turned in today. It made sense that they wanted revenge, but Zoro wasn't about to let them harm Nami. Not taking his eyes off of the men in front of him, he reached out and shook Nami awake.

The moment she woke up, Nami was aware of the feeling of danger and when her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the night she saw a group of men in their room. The light of the moon allowed her to see their faces and she recognised them as the men that she had seen their target with during her investigation. It didn't take a genius to know why they were here.

"So the sleeping beauty is awake now."

"Leave her out of this." Zoro almost growled and moved in front of the bed to shield Nami from the group of men.

Nami was disgusted by the looks these pirates had given her and she would do something about it. Sure, now that Zoro was by her side he did most of the fighting, but that didn't mean that she had to be the damsel in distress. Before she had met the swordsman she had been fine on her own after all, so if it was necessary she could hold herself against pirates. She might only gave a polearm as her weapon but if it was used wisely and at the right places she would be able to defeat a man. Standing up she readied herself for the upcoming fight.

From the corner of his eyes Zoro saw what she was about to do and he didn't like it. The thought that she wanted to fight didn't sit well with him. As long as he was by her side she should never have to do that. It wasn't the first time he felt this strong will to protect her, but right now it hit him with full force. Since leaving his sensei's dojo he was only fighting for himself and for his goal, so it was new to him that he cared so deeply for someone else. However now wasn't the time to dwell on this kind of thoughts because their enemies were about to attack.

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think :)


	4. Caring for you

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers and I hope you like the new chapter :)

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After the first few exchanges of blows Zoro found out that their opponents weren't strong when they fought alone, but that they were so many was a problem because they decided to attack all at once. That wasn't the only thing that worried the swordsman. Nami was better at close combat than he had thought, but with only a polearm as a weapon and her clearly not being used to longer fights it was obvious to Zoro that she wouldn't be able to keep up much longer. The thought alone that she was in danger made him even more angry at the men in front of him and he unleashed his fury on his opponents.

Of course had Nami seen Zoro fight when they found their targets, but the way he hold himself against so many opponents was impressive to say the least. She hadn't been idle either, even if she didn't came close to the number of men that he was defeating. After a while Nami had stopped counting how many of their enemies were still entering their room through the window, but they didn't seem to stop coming. Slowly she could feel herself getting tired. Sure, when she had traveled alone she had fought a few times, but not for this long and not this hard. Normally she would flew the scene as soon as she could, but seeing that their opponents were blocking the door and the window they were caged in.

After what felt like hours it seemed that they had finally defeated the last pirates, but Zoro was still wary. He was sure that this hadn't been all the members of the crew. As far as Nami had informed him, the target they already turned in had one of the biggest crews in the East Blue, so they were still far from safe. Considering that it would be the best to leave this island as soon as they could. He was about to tell Nami that when he saw her sit down on the bed, completely exhausted. That however wasn't the first thing he noticed. On her arm was a small red line, it seemed that one of the pirates did land an attack on her. Without hesitation he walked over to the bed and kneeled down in front of her. He took his bandanna off and carefully wrapped it around her wound.

Nami watched him with wide eyes and a small blush on her face. This gesture was so tender and sweet that she couldn't keep her heart from beating faster. This moment felt rather intimate to Nami and when his worried eyes turned to her, she found it hard to deny that she wasn't starting to feel more for him than friendship. Never before had she felt this safe with anyone outside of her family and since she had lost Bellemere she had a hard time trusting other people. However with Zoro it all came naturally and the feeling she got around him was a wonderful one.

While Nami was deep in thought Zoro let his eyes wander outside the window. He couldn't see anyone coming, but now was the time to get away from this island for sure.

"We need to leave." He finally voiced his thoughts after standing up.

"Why? We have paid for a whole night and breakfast in the morning." Nami argued.

Of course would she care about money even in a situation like this. Zoro could only shake his head at that, he should have known that Nami would insist on staying. After their fight they were both exhausted and they could need the sleep, but his instincts were telling him to go. If he had been alone he would fight, but with Nami by his side he was worried about her safety. Looking around the hotel room he finally found a way to get Nami to leave with him, without having to tell her that the danger wasn't probably over.

"If the hotel manager sees how the room looks he will make us pay for it. You don't want that, do you?"

Sure enough when Nami looked around, their hotel room was pretty much destroyed due to their fight with the pirates. This would cost a small fortune and she wasn't willing to pay that. Sighing she finally agreed to leave now for the next island instead of tomorrow. She was about to stand up when Zoro quickly took a hold of her.

"What are you doing?" The navigator asked blushing.

"You're exhausted. That would only slow us down." Was his simple answer.

Nami almost rolled her eyes at his explanation. How could she have thought that there was a romantic motive behind his gesture. No matter what she felt for him and how sweet he could unintentionally be, he was still Zoro.

With her leading the way and him carrying her, they arrived in no time at the harbor and immediately set sail to the next island. Nami didn't know why he was in such a hurry, but she trusted his decision like she had done so often on their journey. It still amazed her that she was willing to lay her life in his hands so easily after she had never trusted anyone after what had happened to Bellemere. Zoro had just something about himself that made her feel safe. With that in mind she concentrated on their course.

All the way to the next island Zoro was wary and kept and close eye on their surroundings, but it seemed that no one was following them. When they finally arrived after having sailed the whole night Zoro could see that Nami could barely keep her eyes open. The fight with the pirates must have already exhausted her and navigating their boat through the night surely hadn't been easy as well.

The moment they came to the new island Zoro almost dragged Nami to the next best hotel, which in Zoro's opinion was located very weirdly. When he was about to rent their room Nami started protesting, but the swordsman wouldn't have any of it and insisted that they should buy their room for the night now.

Nami couldn't understand his decision at all and seeing that she was already tired she was more than easily provoked. Sure, they bickered a lot, but this time she was truly annoyed with him.

"Why did you insist that we already bought a hotel room?" Nami asked angry when they entered the room. This would cost so much more than if they had just waited until the evening.

"You must be exhausted. Get some rest."

At his words her eyes softened and her anger vanished immediately. He had thought about her well-being when he had made that decision. On the outside he might not look like it but this wasn't the first time Nami realized that he was caring underneath the hard demeanor. Not only had he been there when she was at her weakest, but even in their daily life he looked out for her. Smiling at that thought she walked over to the bed and removed her boots.

"You didn't sleep much as well. Why don't you lay down too?" She offered while letting herself fall on the bed.

"I need to clean my swords. After the last fight I hadn't the time to do it." He replied and sat down on the chair by the window.

Nami accepted his answer with a nod. After they had left the last island in such a hurry they had traveled non-stop to this one and Zoro had been more than wary the whole time here. Surely he hadn't wanted to make his swords unavailable during that time by cleaning them, so it was only logical that he would do that now. Taking a deep sigh Nami closed her eyes. Zoro was right, she was exhausted. The fight with the pirates and navigating through the night had been tiring and she could use the sleep. With Zoro here by her side she knew that she would be safe. Considering that sleep easily claimed her and a minute later she was asleep.

While the navigator finally got the rest she needed Zoro went to the small bathroom to wet a towel and clean his swords with it. After that he pulled out the polish and only stopped when he was sure that his swords were in good shape again. With his swords ready to fight again he leaned back on his chair. When his eyes fell on the woman sleeping so peacefully on the bed he smiled slightly. There was no doubt that Nami was a beautiful woman, everyone could see that, but that wasn't the reason Zoro found himself so fascinated by her. With each day and every dangerous situation they got themselves into he started caring more for her. The feeling he had when she smiled at him or when they slept in the same bed was new to him. All his life he had only been focused on his dream to be the world's greatest swordsman, but now there was someone he wanted to protect with his life.

This wasn't the first time this thought entered his mind. At first he had only seen her as a partner then she had become his friend and now he had to admit that she meant even more to him. Since he had left his sensei's dojo he had traveled mostly alone. Along the way he had met two other swordsmen who he had spent a while with, but in the end he still considered himself a lone wolf. That Nami was already almost three months by his side and despite that they bickered often he didn't want to be without her spoke volumes. If he was honest with himself she was the first woman he was considering not only as a partner workwise but in life as well.

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think :)


	5. Partners for life

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed or added my story to their Favorites. I hope you like the last chapter :)

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Of course did Nami know that the way they lived was dangerous, but Zoro always seemed untouchable to her. So far he had dominated their target in every fight and won easily without breaking up much of a sweat, but this time it was different. The man he was fighting had the highest bounty they had encountered on their journey, but despite this fact Zoro was confident like always. Nami was more than excited for the huge amount on money they would get when they would bring this man to the marine, so both were blind to the risk they were taking.

As always Nami found out where their target was staying and in the right moment they confronted him. No one went down without a fight, but this man was apparently willing to die for his freedom. At any sacrifice he attacked Zoro with everything he had. The swordsman was able to keep up for a while, but his enemy didn't seemed to get tired.

Nami watched the fight unfold from the sideline and her happy mood about getting so much money when they would turn their target in slowly vanished into worry for Zoro. He couldn't loose, it was just no possible that some awful pirate would be able to defeat someone as strong as Zoro. However when the swordsman had to take another hit directly on his shoulder and had to drop one of his swords Nami gasped in fear. It couldn't end like this.

That was exactly what Zoro was thinking as well. He had made a promise to Kuina and he had trained for years. There was no way he would let his journey end here. One day he would be the world's greatest swordsman and this pirate in front of him wouldn't prevent him from that. Mustering up his last strength Zoro attacked once again. Despite that he couldn't use three swords, because at this point he was pretty sure that his shoulder was broken, two had to be enough. However before he could ready up again for an attack of his own, his opponent pulled out a pistol and hold it to his head.

This couldn't be happening. Not again. Painful memories of a few years back were suddenly surfacing again and Nami could barely keep herself from screaming. She knew this scene in front of her, a pirate with a pistol aiming at someone she loved. No, she couldn't let that happen, she had to do something, anything to save him. However just like years ago she couldn't move. Her body wouldn't obey her and she watched helplessly how the pirate pulled the trigger of the pistol.

Everything went so fast that Nami couldn't tell what exactly happened. One moment it looked like the bullet was about to hit Zoro and in the next he had dodged it and was now attacking their target with full force.

This was definitely the strongest opponent he had to fight so far, but that was what he was here for. With a combination of attacks the man was finally defeated. In the end he won and that was what mattered.

"Well, that was a fight." Zoro was breathing heavily and his body was hurting all over. Despite that he was kneeling on the ground now, no longer able to stand up, he still managed a smirk. "Let's bring him to the marine and give him what he deserves."

"No."

Nami's words confused the swordsman. Normally she was always more than ready to turn in their target and receive the money as soon as possible, so why was she reacting like this? When he looked at her to see what was wrong he saw that her hands were clenched into fist. Her hair was covering her eyes so he couldn't make out her expression but it was probably either one of anger or hurt.

"What's the matter Nami?" He finally asked when she didn't say anything else.

The navigator couldn't believe what he was saying. Never before had he looked so beaten up and came so close to loosing and despite that he was acting like nothing happened. She could clearly see that he didn't move his shoulder too much and when he did his face contorted in pain, he was more injured than he let on.

"I don't care about his bounty right now. We're getting you to a doctor first."

It was probably the first time she didn't care about money. During her journey with Zoro she realized that there were things that were more important and right now only Zoro's well-being mattered to her. She had heard where a doctor lived during her research in this village and that was where she was dragging a protesting Zoro now. It was already late, but Nami didn't care while she loudly knocked on the door. Confused and a little angry an old man opened the door after another minute of her aggressive knocking.

"You have to heal him, I'll pay every price." She immediately told him without letting him get a word in.

The old man looked at her before his eyes wandered over to the swordsman whose shirt was torn to shreds, so the doctor could see all wounds along his torso.

"Alright come in." He finally said and stepped aside so the two could enter.

After he lead them into a small room he began treating Zoro's wounds while Nami stayed with him the whole time.

"These bandages are too tight, I can't train like this." Zoro complained when the doctor was done.

"You are not supposed to train for at least two weeks." The old man countered.

The swordsman was about to protest, because there was no way that he wasn't training for two weeks. How could he become the world's greatest swordsman if he would just sit around and do nothing? This doctor clearly had no clue what he was doing, just some sake and a nap and he would be just fine. However before he could voice that thought Nami thanked the old man. After paying him, she left quickly and Zoro had a hard time following her.

"Oi woman why are you so angry?" The swordsman finally had enough of this. Since she had dragged him to this doctor she hadn't said anything to him or even looked at him. If she was treating him like this he at least wanted to know the reason for it.

He stepped closer to her and touched her cheek gently with his uninjured hand only to have her slap his hand away.

"You don't understand, do you?" Her voice was shaking and a lone tear escaped her eyes. "I could have lost you in that fight. What would I have done if you didn't make it out alive? I can't bear to lose another person I love, I just can't."

Zoro's eyes widened at that. She loved him. They had traveled for a while together now, but he had never thought that she felt the same, but then again he wasn't the best at reading woman. When he had first met her, she had tried to steal from him but he had stopped her in time. Then they ended up as a good working team only for him to realize that she was successful in stealing from him after all. It wasn't his swords that she ended up stealing, but something even more worthy, his heart. Shaking his head Zoro smirked slightly, the bounty hunter and the thief what a combination.

After he didn't say anything for a while Nami lost hope. She hadn't meant to confess to him, but it was true, she loved him. At first she had only wanted to use him to get more money so she could free her village from Arlong, but then he had become her friend and even more. Never before had she been in love and she knew that it wasn't the time to be so selfish but she couldn't help it. Today after being so close to losing him, just like she had lost Bellemere, she had realized what he meant to her. Now however their journey together would be over because judging by his silence he didn't feel that way about her. Turning her back to him she was about to leave for good when a gentle hand hold her back and made her face him.

"I don't want to loose you either woman."

Just like her confession his was an indirect one as well. Zoro was never a man of many words, his actions spoke louder than words in his opinion, so the kiss that followed said everything he wanted her to know.

For the first time since she had been forced to become a member of the Arlong pirates Nami felt happy. There was still so much she had to worry about but for now she just wanted to enjoy being in love with this amazing man.

Both were so lost in their kiss that they didn't hear someone approaching, that was until he spoke up.

"Are you Roronoa Zoro?"

Zoro pulled away from his kiss with Nami immediately, only to step in front of her in case that whoever had asked that would attack them. The guy in front of them didn't look threatening at all with his straw hat and questioning expression, but Zoro wasn't taking any chances.

"Who wants to know that?" The swordsman replied coldly.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy and I'll be pirate king. You're going to be my first mate." He smiled brightly at Zoro.

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A/N: I'm thinking about writing a sequel to this because Zoro still doesn't know about Arlong and all, but I'll let you readers decide :)


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